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He looked awful. His eyes were red as though he hadn’t slept in weeks, and it certainly looked like he hadn’t shaved. She got no pleasure out of his apparent misery.
Well, maybe a little.
“Mila, I’m ecstatic to see you, but now really isn’t a good time,” Rashid said in a tired voice. “I’m in the middle of the something.”
“Are you about to pass the arena over to Asad?” she demanded.
Reluctantly he nodded. “It’s not what you think.”
“Oh really? So you’re not doing this because of me?”
Asad cocked his head. “Really? You’re doing this for her?”
Rashid looked miserable as he stared at her. “It was supposed to be this big romantic gesture,” he muttered.
“It’s a big gesture, all right,” she snapped. “A big stupid one! Rashid, I know how much you love this arena. This was your baby before you even met me, before Asad met Liyah, and I would never—ever!—ask you to give it up for me! Have you lost your mind? Does everything have to be so over-the-top with you Sharif men? When I said prove that you love me without money, I meant that I wanted picnics in the park and romantic words. I wanted to be wooed without wondering if it was all for show! I wanted a private relationship with you! One that wasn’t in the news!”
His face fell. “Oh.”
“Oh.” Mila couldn’t help but smile as she stepped forward and touched his chest. “Don’t look at me like that,” she whispered. “I’m not saying that your big stupid gesture didn’t work. I’m just saying that it wasn’t what I had in mind . . .”
He perked up a little. “Really?”
“Rashid, you were going to give away your million-dollar industry for me. It got my attention.”
Asad cleared his throat. “So does that mean I’m not going to get the
sports arena?”
Furious, Mila rounded on him. “And you!” she growled. “You were just going to take it from him? What kind of brother are you? Does Liyah know that you’re doing this?”
Asad paled a little. “I wasn’t really going to let him go through with it,” he said weakly. “I just don’t ever get to see Rashid flounder. I’m the oldest, but he’s always been better at business than me. I’ve been a little jealous.”
“Really?” Rashid frowned. “But I was always jealous of you.”
Mila couldn’t help but smile. In the end, she could say that even if she had royally messed up her engagement, at least she’d brought the two brothers closer together.
The two men embraced.
“So that’s it?” she demanded. “Rashid, you’re not going to sign over the complex?”
“I guess not.”
Asad craned his neck to look around behind her. “I feel bad about all those reporters. What are they going to report now?”
Before Mila could answer, Rashid tugged on her hand. “Mila, I love you,” he said hoarsely. “I think I’ve always been in love with you, but I was so focused on everything else that I couldn’t see it. Now that I see you, none of this matters anymore. I’ll walk away from all of it, if it means I get to have you in my arms.”
Mila reached up and cupped a hand to his cheek. “This is what you were born to do, and I won’t take that away from you. You can have us both—but I’m not going to be some docile creature following you around. I want to be by your side.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. It would kill me to extinguish the wildfires burning in you.” Rashid suddenly dropped to his knees and pulled out a chain that was hanging around his neck. “I found this in the car,” he said as he slipped her engagement ring off the chain. “I’m hoping you’ll take it. Be my wife, Mila. My real wife. One that I can argue with, laugh with, make love to, and raise a family with.”
Overcome with emotion, Mila nodded her head.
Rashid slipped the ring on her finger and stood upright once more. Picking her up, he whirled her around in circles, and then he set her down to kiss her until she was breathless.
“Look at that.” Asad cleared his throat. “The reporters are leaving. They aren’t even taking pictures.”
“That’s because I told them to go away.” Mila held tight to her love.
